Perception and Cognition in Patients With Bipolar and Unipolar Depressive DisordersA Study in Rorschach Responding

From St. Elizabeths Hospital (Dr Donnelly) and the Laboratory of Clinical Science (Dr Murphy), National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md; and the George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC (Dr Scott).

• The Rorschach was administered to 16 bipolar and 13 unipolar patients hospitalized during a depressive episode. Two contrasting styles of Rorschach responding differentiated the two patient groups. The bipolar style of response is characterized by selective attention to the more objective aspects of the inkblots, while the unipolar style of response is characterized by a more subjective approach. Primary response to color was found only in the protocols of bipolar patients.

The styles of response were discussed in relation to other studies showing similar results based on self-assessment and clinical tests. It was suggested that perceptual-cognitive structuring of the external environment may be related to, or predispose, mood levels.